1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector, and, more particularly, to a cap having a cover portion that is latchable to an electrical connector.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,111 discloses a known cap for receiving an electrical cable therethrough, and for covering respective electrical wires that project out of the cable for termination with an electrical connector. The known insulating cap is fabricated in two pieces that must be assembled together to encircle the electrical cable. A disadvantage is, that the two pieces are unable to provide a tube that limits bending of the cable. Further, the two pieces can be lost prior to being assembled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,770 discloses a known insulating cap for receiving an electrical cable therethrough. Although the cap appears to have a cable-receiving tube, the tube is without a tapered interior, and has an untapered exterior with circumferential indentations. Accordingly, the tube is unable to be adapted for molding in a molding operation.
The invention relates to a cap for an electrical connector, and, more particularly, to a cap having a cover portion that is latchable to an electrical connector. The cap has a cable-receiving, hollow tube adapted for molding in a molding operation.
An object of the invention is to provide a cap for an electrical connector, wherein a cover portion of the cap has a cable-receiving, hollow tube that is adapted for molding in a molding operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cover portion of a cap for an electrical connector, wherein the cover portion has a cable-receiving, hollow tube, and the hollow tube has a cable-receiving length greater than a its diameter, and greater than a thickness of the cover portion.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a cap for an electrical connector has a cable-receiving, hollow tube with a tapered interior extending axially from a larger opening at an outward end of the hollow tube to a smaller opening through the cover portion, such that the hollow tube has a tapered interior from which a tapered molding core pin is readily withdrawn in a rearward direction from the tapered interior after formation of the hollow tube by a straight draw molding operation.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap for an electrical connector has a cable-receiving, hollow tube with a tapered exterior, the exterior extending axially from a larger exterior circumference at the cover of the cap to a smaller exterior circumference at the outward end of the hollow tube, such that the exterior is readily withdrawn from a tapered molding die cavity after formation of the hollow tube by a molding operation.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap for an electrical connector has a cable-receiving, hollow tube, the hollow tube being internally tapered from a larger opening at an outward end to a smaller opening at an interior of the cover, and an exterior of the hollow tube being tapered from a larger circumference at the cover to a smaller circumference the outward end of the hollow tube, such that the exterior is reversely tapered relative to the interior of the hollow tube, whereby the hollow tube is readily withdrawn from between a tapered molding core pin and a reversely tapered molding die cavity after formation of the hollow tube by a molding operation.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap for an electrical connector has a cable-receiving, hollow tube, the hollow tube having an interior length greater than a thickness of the cover portion, and greater than its diameter, which limits bending of an electrical cable extending along the interior.
Other objects and advantages of the invention are disclosed by an embodiment of the invention. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, according to which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cap for an electrical connector;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an interior of the cap disclosed by FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a rear of an electrical connector;
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the cap disclosed by FIG. 1 assembled to the electrical connector disclosed by FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a cross section of the cap disclosed by FIG. 1, together with portions of a molding die and a molding core pin.